Genesis 21:22 - 22:1-19
Book of Genesis • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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The end of Genesis 21 discusses the agreement Abraham and Abimelek (king of Gerar) had to live in peace. It discusses how the well Abraham had dug was stolen by Abimeleks men (without the kings knowledge). In response Abraham digs a new well and makes an agreement with Abimelek that they should not steal his well again. We are told that Abraham stays in the land of the Philistines for a long time after this, we are not told exactly how long but possibly years. It’s important to note that the Philistines were not yet a tribe in that area but sometime after Abraham left, the land became known as the land of the Philistines.
That brings us to todays passage, probably one of the most disturbing passages for a parent to read.
1 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.
We are coming to an event that we are told is a testing of Abraham. Abraham was not told this was a test. Abraham was about to be given a very unusual task that seemed very real to him. This could cause him to question God, this could cause him to doubt God. This could cause him to reject God and run from his plan! No matter what Abraham does, this WILL reveal his heart, not just to God, but to Abraham, Isaac and everyone else.
2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
Take your only son, Wait this seems odd. What about Ishmael? Remember, God required Abraham to give that son up years before this. Isaac was the only Son left and he was the son God promised would have many descendants and even bring forth the Messiah!
The land of Moriah was about a 3 day journey from Beersheba where Abraham was. This would have been a land that Abraham had passed through before and probably recognized although the exact mountain, God did not reveal just yet.
But what about the main objective of this journey? To place his only son, The one promised by God, on a burnt offering!
Talk about the ultimate test! Think of this, what would you do if God asked you to take your child and offer him as a burnt offering to God, could you do that? Lets look at something Jesus said and see if we can find a connection.
26 If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.
We often look at the command from God to Abraham as some sort of spiritualized, unrealistic request that was not serious. But Jesus extended that same sentiment to us all! obviously not asking us to burn our loved ones alive, but in the sense that our love for God should be so intense and pure that we are willing to let go of everyone else to keep Him! If you want to be a disciple of God, your family can not be your first love and priority, God must be your first love and priority. like Abraham in Chapter 21 and 22 we must be willing to give our loved ones over to God for His control as we love and follow Christ where ever that leads us.
3 So Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place that God had told him.
Abraham gets up first thing and begins to follow God’s direction. Notice he split and prepared the wood! Wouldn’t it be easier to take the ax, and split the wood when you arrive? This is another indicator that Abraham knew the area he was going to, he prepared the wood, knowing that the supply may not be enough in Moriah.
4 Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from a distance. 5 Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey. The boy and I will go over there and worship and then return to you.”
Notice the end, Abraham’s faith was still in the promise of God from 4 decades ago. He instructs the workers to stay with the donkeys and says he and the boy will go, worship and come back. Abraham did not know what God was going to do, but he knew God’s promisses. Abraham knew that God would make a nation using Isaac somehow, even if Isaac died, God could raise him from the dead to complete this promise. This child was already a miracle and nothing could stop God from doing another miracle.
This is a bit different from you and I because we don’t have a promise that God will use our loved ones to create a mighty nation. We are not guaranteed God will not allow our loved ones to die. Be we are guaranteed from Romans 8:28
28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
So, Just like in Abrahams situation, we do not know what the end result will be, but we do know that if we trust Gods plan and love God through it, whatever the end result is, will be for our best and in the end, will produce good.
Let’s continue to see how Abrahams story turned out for his good!
6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? 8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.
On the walk, Isaac, Obviously unaware of the plan, says hey dad, did you forget something? We have wood, fire and a knife, but were missing the lamb.
Abraham points his son to God and says, God will provide. I’m not sure how, we are not sure of the plan but we are sure of the God of the plan.
There is a saying in the military “trust the plan” basically, no matter how things look, just keep moving forward and trust the plan to be completed. Abraham didn’t know the plan, he wasn’t trusting the plan he was trusting the planner, God!
9 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. 10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
Just imagine this moment. The emotion of what your are about to do, but the excitement of waiting to see what God would do. How would God turn this into good? how would God complete the promise after this day? Imagine your heart racing, your mind racing, the dread, the love, the devotion, the faith.
11 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
At the last moment, God’s angel calls out and says “Abraham wait, do not hurt the boy” Now I know you fear God, you have not placed even your only son in front of Me! after 4 decades of Abraham walking with God, seeing God provide and take care of him, Abraham was finally proven to be at a peak of spiritual maturity. Abraham was right where God wanted him, putting nothing, including his only son before God.
did you know thats the same place God wants all of us? Where we are putting nothing and no one in a place of higher importance than God.
13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. 14 And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen.
In the last moment, God provided the ram for the sacrifice. They called the name of the place Jehovah-Jireh which means, God will provide. He throws in the line, “In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen” what is he saying? the mountain is the hardness of life. In the mountain He provides in a way that is seen by us and those around us. God lets us get to the point where we can no longer do it on our own. God allows the mountain of struggle to drive our eyes to him so when we look up, we see God provide!
15 And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, 16 And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: 17 That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; 18 And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice. 19 So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beer-sheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beer-sheba.
God shows Abraham the good that came from this very difficult journey. not only did Abraham see God provide, Abraham was assured that all the earth would be blessed by his descendants. Gods hand of blessing would always be on the nation of Isreal and those blessings would flow out to all other nations as well!
God did not ask Abraham to do something, God was not willing to do. Abraham was willing to give up his most loved family for the sake of God, just as God would soon give up his only Son, Jesus Christ, for the sake of mankind.
God was allowing Abraham and all of us, see the cost of sin, which is death. God provided an alternative sacrifice for Abraham showing that God would provide a sacrifice just like God would use the nation of Isreal to provide the ultimate, one time, sacrifice that would finally be suitable for all mankind. That sacrifice was Jesus Christ.
Jesus desires to be your sacrifice as well, if you only believe in Him! stop trying to earn your way to heaven, it can’t be done. Forgiveness only comes from the sacrifice that God would provide.
If you are a disciple of Christ, meaning a learner of His, stop trying to limit the areas of your life you are willing to trust God with, give God access to everything and everyone in your life don’t hold anything back!